Love comes in all shades | Coriolanus Snow x OC |

10. Elise's pov II

She was sitting on the windowsill in the girl's bathroom all alone. No one was around to accompany her. Good, she thought. She was in no mood for company, especially since hers tended to be really talkative. And she wouldn't bear conversations that morning as she knew where they would head. Coriolanus. Everyone would be talking about his act of either bravery or stupidity, depending on who she'd talk with. She was mad just thinking about it, hence she didn't need anyone else to remind her of that. Her brain ensured that she wouldn't be able to forget about it. Even if she wanted to.

She remembered the exact moment when she found out about that event. She could even recall every single emotion that ran through her body as she learned where he was. "Breaking news! Our crew is at the zoo where the tributes were freshly delivered. Although, something seems to be odd," the reporter at the studio chirped excitedly. "It seems like there's someone among them that wears the Academy's red! Lucky Flickerman is at the place and will soon interview that person. Stay tuned."

She wouldn't even listen to the news if it wasn't for the fact that her father was somewhere around the house, preparing for a meeting. He insisted on putting the TV on a high volume, so he'd hear it no matter in which room he was at the moment. Thanks to that instruction, she heard it and the Academy's red got her attention. She couldn't wait to leave the house before and now she was sitting on a couch in the living room with her jaw open and eyes big due to a shock that the image before her eyes caused to her. She was watching Coriolanus. The same Coriolanus that stole her first voluntary kiss ever yesterday. The one that she hoped to see this morning.

"Student trapped with those animals?" Her father asked to make sure as he just entered the room, one of their staff members chasing him with a bunch of ties in her hand. They were ironed as he dressed to impress. Sometimes she was surprised how detail-oriented her father could be. How he could care about every single thing. But only on the condition that the thing in question concerned him.

"It seems so," she said quietly, not taking her eyes off the screen even for a second, devouring the broadcast presented to her.

"Do you know the guy?" He asked as he picked the tie and allowed the maid to tie it. She didn't answer at first as she was deep in her thoughts, thinking about the possible reasons of why Coriolanus got himself in such a situation. It didn't seem like him. He...he seemed different from the rest of the people she's met in the Capitol so far. That is different, it fits the description, the quiet voice in her head tried to reason with her. She had to admit, she didn't know him well yet. She knew what he presented to her. Only stupid people were showing their true face to anyone. And Coriolanus wasn't stupid. He allowed her to see a certain part of him. The part that he most likely carefully chose to show. The part that said I'm shy and awkward and smart and nice-looking and good at kissing and disinterested in so many things unless it's school related. Was she a fool for falling for that? After all, her uncle did call him names a lot and warned her many times about not getting friendly with him and she chose to not listen. Was she in the wrong here?

No. She couldn't be. That devil of a man couldn't be right about Coriolanus. It was just her uncle getting into her head, soaking it with his poison that she despised so much. Her train of thought got interrupted with her father repeating the question. "Elsie, do you know him?"

She cringed immediately. She hated when anyone called her that nickname. She preferred her real name, instead of the one that they made up by rearranging letters. For them it was a reminder of her childhood. For her it was nothing else than a relieved trauma.

"Well-," she didn't get a chance to answer her father's question as her uncle stormed into the room, all angry and heated.

"Did you see it?! It's a disgrace," he huffed as he got before the TV and her father. He didn't notice her at first, but she sure noticed him, frozen in place as soon as she heard him.